TENT CITIES - GUEST POST - AND A GIVEAWAY BY PATY JAGER

By Paty Jager

Caroline, thank you for having me on you blog during my tour.

As was the case in most gold rushes, the entrepreneurs who followed the thousands who rushed to get claims in the gold fields were the ones who walked away with money in their pockets. In the case of the Klondike rushes, there was more money to be made providing warm beds and meals along the nearly 600 miles from Skagway and Dyea to Dawson City and the 1300 miles from Dawson to St. Michael, on the eastern shore of Alaska.

From Dyea and Skagway going over Chillkoot and White Pass to Lakes Lindemann and Bennett there were small communities set up every twenty miles. The need for the stops every twenty miles had to do with the fact the men and women who came to seek their gold usually had barely enough money to get the provisions required by the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) to enter the Yukon and couldn’t afford to hire a packer or purchase a horse to haul their goods. The NWMP required each person to have 1,000 to 1,200 pounds of provisions to cross the summits and enter into the Yukon. Most men were only able to carry fifty to one-hundred pounds at a time on their backs. This meant making, if they could carry one hundred pounds, ten trips on each twenty mile stretch. They would get up in the morning, pack their first one hundred pounds to the next stop, cache it with someone, then go back and get the next one as many times as it took to get all their provisions to the next stop.

Having to move back and forth so much made getting over the summit and down to the lakes a long process. Add to that, getting to the summit meant hiking from sea level at Dyea to the 3,500 summit at Chilkoot in fifteen miles. Chilkoot had stairs cut in the frozen snow the last 1500 feet. Skagway to the White Pass summit was 40 miles with not such a drastic climb but more harrowing conditions. White Pass had narrow rock ledges for the trail, deep crevices and switchback trails only wide enough for one man to pass, making the  hikers heading back down the trail have to find alternate routes.

The two trails had their advantages and disadvantages. But the one thing they both had were tent cities where a weary traveler could pay a $1 for a bunk where they could throw down their own bedding or use the same bedding thousands of other travelers used. A dollar also got them a hot meal. It wouldn’t be more than beans, soda bread, canned fruit, and possibly fresh game, but it was better than the hardtack and jerky they used for fuel while climbing.

The tent cities also had saloons, gambling tents, and even a tent or two of soiled doves. Thieves and swindlers lived in the cities preying on the gullible. Most of the gold seekers were men and women who had scraped together their money and sometimes even a town would go together and send several men to find gold to help. Even office workers caught gold fever and headed to the Klondike. All these naïve travelers made excellent marks for the people in the tent cities too lazy to pan for gold but willing to use knavery to get it from others.

Prices on the Skagway and Dyea side of the summits were double what a person paid in the lower forty-eight and on the Yukon side, they doubled the Skagway and Dyea prices. If the eager prospectors were smart they purchased their supplies in Seattle and San Francisco before heading by ship to Skagway and St. Michael.

A year’s outfit for one man purchased at the Alaska Commercial Company in Dawson in 1897 cost $550.25. This included food and clothing needed to stay alive.

In my newest release, LAYING CLAIM, Clara Bixbee arrives in Skagway, believing she can easily find a packer or guide to take her over Chilkoot Pass. She soon learns the journey may be more than she’d expected.

LAYING CLAIM Blurb:

Jeremy Duncan commits to haul one last load of supplies across the great interior of the Yukon before heading home. But, he has to trade his pack animals for sled dogs and leave Skagway in the middle of a blizzard due to one strong-willed, business-minded beauty.

Determined to find her older brother, Clara Bixbee doesn't care how she gets across the pass, as long as she does, and soon. Hiring handsome pack guide Jeremy Duncan seems to be her best choice. Especially after she saves a young girl being beaten by the local gang leader and needs to escape Skagway fast.

LAYING CLAIM Excerpt:

Someone roughly shook Clara. She shoved her arms out of her sleeping bag and opened her eyes. The lanterns were glowing, backlighting the dark, furry head so close she could smell his sour breath.

“Get away from me!” she said loudly. Where is Jeremy? She shot a glance to the floor. His sleeping bag was empty.

“What have you done with Jeremy?” She sat up, forcing the body looming over her to have to back up.

“We decided you ain’t goin’ with him.”

She stared at the man in front of her. It was one of the first men they’d been introduced to. And one of the men who’d made her nervous the way he stared at her.

“You have no say over what I can and can’t do.” Inside her body quivered and her stomach squeezed with fear. Outside, she scowled and clenched her fists. Working at the warehouse, she’d learned to be strong on the outside no matter what she felt on the inside. Men always thought they could bully her.

Clara dropped her arm over the side of the cot and groped the floor for something to use as a weapon. Her trusty umbrella was packed in one of the sleds.

“It ain’t right for a young thing like you to be goin’ into the wilderness. You could get ate by a bear or worse.” The man nodded his head.

Several voices behind him agreed. She looked beyond the man in her space and spotted four more. Panic clamped her jaw shut. Jeremy, where are you?

Her hand found something long, round, and cold. She grasped it and pulled Jeremy’s rifle onto her lap. Before the man could move to take it from her, she swung the business end toward him.

“Back off!” She glared at all of them. “All of you. Get back.”

They all backed up, apologizing and glaring at the back of the man she held the rifle on.

“Where is Jeremy? Did you do something to him?” She quickly scanned the room. “Where’s Snooker Pete?” She clicked the pointy thing on the top of the rifle just like she’d watched Jeremy do when he prepared to shoot a rabbit on the trail.

“Don’t go shooting me. They’re both fine.” The bearded man’s eyes moved in his head like bubbles in a pot of boiling water.

Clara nodded to the others. “Bring Pete and Jeremy here, or in five minutes I’m going to shoot this man in the foot.” She let the end of the barrel drop enough to see the man’s big boot.

They others scattered out of the tent, leaving her with the rifle aimed at the man’s foot.

“There’s no reason to be so ornery,” the man said, his voice shaking.

“There was no reason for you to meddle in my life. That’s one thing I don’t take kindly to— men meddling in my affairs.” She glared at the man and hoped Jeremy arrived soon. She didn’t know how to keep the gun from firing.

Buy Links: Kindle http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GK50QWG

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/laying-claim-paty-jager/1117353101?ean=2940148913771

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paty Jager, Author

With sixteen published books, three novellas, and an anthology, award-winning author, Paty Jager is never at a loss for story ideas and characters in her head. Her rural life in central and eastern Oregon, and interests in local history and the world around her, keeps the mystery and romance ideas flowing. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it. 

You can learn more about Paty at her blog; www.patyjager.blogspot.com  her website; http://www.patyjager.net or on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager and twitter;  @patyjag.

GIVEAWAY

This post is part of a week-long blog tour. I love to give and you could be the winner! I will be giving away an e-copy of my Christmas novella, Christmas Redemption, to one commenter at each blog stop where there are at least ten comments. You can find the blog tour hosts at my blog: http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com or my website: http://www.patyjager.net

Thanks for stopping by!

TAMING JENNA BY CHARLENE RADDON AND GIVEAWAY

TAMING JENNA Blurb:

THE WRONG MAN 

Deserted by her father at the tender age of seven, Jenna Leigh-Whittington had taught herself to ride, shoot, brawl…and steer clear of the opposite sex. But now, in a lonely Utah canyon, the Pinkerton agent has drawn her gun on a rugged stranger—only to discover that, far from the dangerous outlaw she’d been tracking, he is Branch McCauley, hired gun…and the most irresistible rascal ever to tempt and torment a woman!

THE RIGHT WOMAN         

If there’s one thing McCauley trusts less than a female, it’s a female who packs a six-gun. But what a woman! Vowing to bring the sensuous hellcat to heel, McCauley has no inkling that their passionate battle of wills has just begun. Taming Jenna will be the most seductive—and satisfying—job he’s ever taken on.

TAMING JENNA Excerpt

Jenna scowled as she studied the man by the flickering glare of his campfire. He had the right build and appeared close to thirty, Mendoza's age. But something didn't fit.

The Denver police chief had described her quarry as a spoiled aristocrat, too busy wooing Lady Luck and every other female to be much of a train robber, let alone a killer. But the rogue in front of Jenna looked too lean and hard to be spoiled, too wary and aloof to be a ladies' man.

To Jenna he seemed the perfect gunslinger: cold, tough, and ready to spring. Like a big yellow cougar perched on a ledge. Or a rattler, tightly coiled. Either way, his bite would be deadly.

In spite of the cool night breeze, sweat oozed from her pores. She couldn't forget that lightning draw. Why had she come here? How had she expected to take an outlaw Pinkerton's other agents had failed to bring in? No, she refused to think that way. She was every bit as capable as any man to capture Mendoza. She had to believe that, the same way she had to do what she'd set out to do. Only one question remained: Was this Mendoza or not?

"Who are you, mister?"

"Who am I? Hell, who are you? "

Blast! Did no male exist in this empty wilderness who wasn't so taken with himself that he couldn't cooperate for a change?

She took a calming breath. A body could catch more flies with honey than vinegar, old Charley Long Bow used to say. Jenna figured flies might fancy the hairy creature facing her, so she decided to try being friendly. "Listen, I smelled your coffee and hoped you might spare a cup, is all. You can understand me being a mite leery of walking into a stranger's camp without knowing who I'm hooking up with."

Firelight glinted on the man's straight white teeth as his whiskers parted in a cold smile. "Don't recall inviting company, but I'll play your game. Name's Branch McCauley. Now it's your turn."

His smile unnerved her. It held no humor, only a lethal sort of grimness that cannoned her stomach into her throat and made her wish she'd wired William Pinkerton for instructions instead of going off half-cocked this way. "I'm Jim...Jim White," she lied.

"All right, Jim, how about some honesty? You come here looking for me?"

"I'm not looking for anyone named Branch McCauley. If that's who you are, you've nothing to worry about."

The wide, innocent eyes McCauley studied held honesty. He relaxed. "In that case...be glad to pour you some coffee." He reached for the battered graniteware pot. His visitor's next words froze him in a half-stoop: "I'd feel more welcome if you'd set aside your gun first."

Cool as Montana sleet, McCauley straightened, hand poised above his holster. "Reckon you would. Wouldn't do much for my sense of well-being, though."

So much for trying to be friendly, Jenna thought. What now? She clenched her knees together to still their shaking and swallowed the fear knotted in her throat.

"Look." McCauley shifted his weight to one leg. "Why don't you put your gun away and have a sit? Could be I might know something about the hombre you're hunting.

Hombre. Sounded Spanish. Like Mendoza. It must be him. She had to get his gun away from him. Surprise seemed the best means. She squeezed the trigger of the .44 Starr. The bullet kicked dirt onto the man's scuffed boots. He jumped and let out a yelp as though she'd set his feet afire.

"Dammit, kid, going up against me won't get you anything but a six-foot hole in the ground."

"Shut up and toss over your gun or I'll turn them boots into sieves. 'Course, my sights might be a bit off." She raised the muzzle toward his groin.

"You made your point," he growled as he unbuckled his gun belt and tossed it over.

Instead of the fancy weapon she had expected a gunslinger to own, an ordinary, six-gun lay at her feet. No ivory handle or engraved barrel. Only an ordinary .44 Peacemaker, crafted and worn for one reason—to kill. The thought did funny things to her innards.

"All right," she said, getting back to business. "You aren't going to like this, mister, but I don't know any other way to be sure who you are. Drop them trousers to your ankles."

"Do what?"

Charlene is holding a drawing on the 15th for all viewers who visited each blog involved and left comments. This is for a $30 gift card.

Her video link is http://youtu.be/ejkEtuTUp8c.

Links:

htp://www.charleneraddon.com/

http://www.charleneraddon.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CharleneRaddon
http://www.twitter.com/CRaddon

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1232154.Charlene_Raddon

http://www.amazon.com/Charlene-Raddon/e/B000APG1P8/

Hugs,
Char

 

Author Charlene Raddon

Charlene Raddon began her fiction career in the third grade when she announced in Show & Tell that a baby sister she never had was killed by a black widow spider. She often penned stories featuring mistreated young girls whose mother accused of crimes her sister had actually committed. Her first serious attempt at writing fiction came in 1980 when she woke up from a vivid dream that compelled her to drag out a portable typewriter and begin writing. She’s been at it ever since. An early love for romance novels and the Wild West led her to choose the historical romance genre but she also writes contemporary romance. At present, she has five books published in paperback by Kensington Books (one under the pseudonym Rachel Summers), and four eBooks published by Tirgearr Publishing. 

Charlene’s awards include: RWA Golden Heart Finalist, Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award Nomination, Affair de Coeur Magazine Reader/Writer Poll for Best Historical of the Year. Her books have won or place in several contests. Currently, Charlene is working on her next release.

PARTICIPANTS FOR CHARLENE’S COVER REVEAL

http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/ 11^th

http://www.charleneraddon.blogspot.com/ 12th

http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com 11th and 12th

http://elizabethdelisi.blogspot.com/ 12th

http://susanhorsnell.com 12^th

^{http://peggylhenderson.blogspot.com/}

http://writingdreams.net/?p=1360  12th

^{http://katerobbinsauthor.com/  12th}

^{http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com  12th}

http://alisonhenderson.blogspot.com  12^th

http://vintagevonnie.blogspot.com/ 14th

http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com/ 14th

Thanks for stopping by!

WILD TIMES ON SKIDAWAY ISLAND - WHAT I LEARNED THAT SURPRISED ME!

WHAT I LEARNED THAT SURPRISED ME

By Karen Dove Barr

            Deer, raccoon, and wild hogs outnumbered humans on Skidaway Island when I first moved there.  I expected that.  Alligators were a protected rarity.  But nobody had prepared me for the multitude of other species.

            The first time I saw golfers pitching balls around a four-foot-tall endangered great blue heron, I was amazed traffic didn’t stop and cameras aim.  I parked my car and walked back to the lagoon to stare.  I wanted to holler, “Look!  Look!” at the oblivious golfers.  Later I learned the big birds line every golf hole and engineered lagoon.  When I rode my bike in the mornings I got used to one swiveling his head as I passed within two feet.  Only when I stopped my bike did he utter a loud, “grounck, grounck,” and fly off.

            Susan Klein surprised me when I asked if she had any unusual encounters with wildlife to share.  Neither Susie nor I had expected to reside in a neighborhood with bobcats in our yard. She was watching a golden-crowned kinglet compete with a mockingbird at her feeder when she glimpsed a gray and brown blur hiding in the gray and brown marsh grass just behind the feeder.  Stealthy hunter, felis rufus, the North American bobcat was watching too.

            I was shocked to see mink crossing the path in front of my bicycle at dawn one morning.  Fur coats usually stay in closets in our tropical paradise.  I didn’t know mink lived in the South.

            Within a twenty year period of strict federal protection in Savannah, seeing an alligator went from a rare and exciting event to being as common as chasing squirrels off a birdfeeder.  Now alligators line every lagoon bank in spring and residents eyeball the wake behind snouts and submerged bodies. We weren’t prepared for the rapid repopulation.

            I lived the book WILD TIMES ON SKIDAWAY ISLAND.  My research followed the experience.  I’m still being surprised and still writing new stories about amazing animal encounters on Skidaway Island.

Wild Times on Skidaway Island

by Karen Dove Barr

BLURB:

WILD TIMES ON SKIDAWAY ISLAND, Georgia's Historic Rain Forest, details life in a unique Audubon-designated, ecologically friendly refuge. There, golfers pitch balls around endangered great blue herons, mama raccoons march their babies across backyard decks where once Guale Indians trapped ancestors of the same raccoons, and residents dodge alligators and rescue snakes.

Even the vegetation is wild. Three hundred-year-old oaks dripping Spanish moss and poison ivy surmount an under-story of wax myrtle and holly. Carolina jasmine, Cherokee roses, and endangered orchids grow wild in the rain forest. The book examines choices residents make when stared down by a bald eagle, when a red-tailed hawk mistakes a golf ball for bird food, when wakened at midnight by deer munching hibiscus. Wild Times on Skidaway Island educates about the species that residents must adapt to on this historic island.

EXCERPT

When Walt and Carol Culin topped their house at The Landings with a coated metal roof they were confident the roof would be problem-free for a hundred years.  Walt’s contacts as head of an industrial coating company helped him get the latest technology.  Even a hurricane shouldn’t destroy their unusual–looking roof.

           

But nothing in Walt’s Princeton-educated background prepared him for dryocopus pileatus, the pilated wookpecker.

           

Male pilated woodpeckers are fixated on the notion that female woodpeckers are attracted to the stud with the noisiest pecker. Usually the woodpecker has to be content with drumming on a hollow tree to resonate his sound. Walt and Carol’s metal roof, however, raised the bar for the local woodpecker population.  Walt and Carol were regularly awakened by mate-seeking woodpeckers as soon as they moved into the house.

           

Walt ended up having to make a run to Toys ’R Us for rubber snakes. Glued to the chimney alongside a big fake owl, the snakes allowed Walt and Carol to catch some winks in the early morning during woodpecker mating season.

http://amazon.com/Wild-Times-Skidaway-Island-Karen/dp/1939521041

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-times-on-skidaway-island-karen-dove-barr/1115227605?ean=9781939521040

http://strategicmediabooks.com/store/books/wild-times-in-skidaway-island/

KAREN DOVE BARR, ATTORNEY AND AUTHOR

Karen Dove Barr, Attorney, was recently recognized by the Georgia State Bar for providing legal assistance to military families and service members.  She has practiced in the field of family law in Savannah for 34 years.

http://www.karendovebarr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/karendovebarr

Thanks for stopping by!

SIERRA BY TAYLOR DEAN - BOOKBLAST AND GIVEAWAY

SIERRA by Taylor Dean

Have you ever been lost in the woods?

Alyssa Fontaine’s life, loved ones—everything familiar and dear—are brutally taken from her.

Taken captive by two men, she endures a horrific nightmare. A new life is forced upon her and even a new name.

Just when it appears that no hope is in sight, she is saved by an unlikely twist of fate. Trapped in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, life will open its arms to her again and she will embrace it. She will find love such as she never knew existed.

Sierra is a heart-wrenching story of the power of the human spirit to survive amidst impossible circumstances and severe losses. It is a story of survival . . . and hope.

Excerpt from SIERRA:
This is  a pivotal moment, wherein Alyssa’s life can change for the better–or for the worse. After facing extreme cruelty, she is faced with utter kindness. I love the marked difference between her experiences. ~Taylor Dean


“Please sit,” he whispered. Her eyes were drawing him in. She didn’t seem to be scared of him, she seemed to know he wanted to help her. First, he filled a glass with water and held it to her lips. She drank thirstily, but then shook her head negatively when he wanted her to finish all of it. At the sink, he filled a small plastic tub with warm water, grabbed shampoo, and went back to Alyssa. The kitchen sink doubled as his bathroom sink. He had all he needed to clean her up, including a small first aid kit. He knelt in front of her. Once again, he gently touched her chin and lifted her face to his. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. She had the biggest brown eyes he’d ever seen.

“Just relax and let me take care of you, Alyssa,” he whispered softly.

She responded with a slight nod. Sitting in the kitchen chair, he had her slowly lean her head back till it was resting just above the tub. He gently began to wash her hair, first getting it wet and then massaging the shampoo into her scalp. She winced when he touched the spot where dried blood matted her hair, so he was extra gentle there. Her long hair was tangled and filled with dirt and bits of dried leaves. It took some time to get it clean and several refills of warm water in the tub as he rinsed. Alyssa closed her eyes and relaxed for probably the first time in days. He worked conditioner into the long locks and then had her sit up as he gently combed through it, removing all of the snarls. He then parted the hair where the wound on the scalp was located and took a look at the gash. It was angry and red, and it needed stitches, but would have to wait till he could retrieve his medical supplies from the supply room. He disinfected it with alcohol and moved on.

He again knelt in front of Alyssa. Her eyes opened and stared deeply into his, desperately trying to communicate without words. A lone tear fell, drizzling down her cheek. He brushed it away with his fingertips. This was harder than he thought. He knew this was the first gentle touch she’d felt in days. The abuse she had suffered was obvious to him as he noticed her many bruises. He grabbed his kitchen stool and sat before her. Using a washcloth, he began to wipe her face clean. As he worked, their eyes met and held. Ever so gently he wiped the dirt and grime away from days spent outdoors. And with it he wiped away tears and pain.

“Please help me,” Alyssa whispered.

Alex stole a glance at Pa and Adam. Pa’s eyes were closed and a soft snore emanated from him. Adam was wide awake, his shotgun pointed at Alex, but he stared into the fire sullenly. Alex leaned forward to grab the tube of anti-biotic ointment on the table. With his lips to her ear as he brushed past, he whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right, Alyssa. I won’t let them take you, I promise.”

Alex then applied the salve to the small cuts on her face and lips. Each and every one of his ministrations clearly brought relief to her. Every time Alex looked her in the eyes, she met him with eyes that spoke volumes. He refilled the tub and washed her arms and hands and then took his time cleaning her fingernails, occasionally massaging her hand as he looked into her eyes. He also applied cortisone cream to her numerous mosquito bites. Next, he decided to tend to her neck and wrists. He cringed inside at the raw, bloody skin underneath the ropes. The first thing he’d wanted to do was cut the ropes, but he didn’t want to push his luck. However, now it was time. He went to the kitchen counter and unsheathed a kitchen knife.

The sound of the knife being unsheathed brought Adam to his feet immediately.

Shotgun aimed at Alex, he yelled, “Put it down, Doc.”

Alex faced him without flinching. “I’m cutting the ropes. They’ve rubbed her skin raw and it’s going to get infected,” he said with steel in his voice. “You can have the knife when I’m done.”

Pa awoke from his snooze in the commotion. “Sit down, Adam. Doc’s right. Let ‘em fix her up,” he growled.

Adam continued to stand, anxiously waiting while Alex cut the rope on her neck and freed Alyssa from her leash. He then cut the other ropes and freed her wrists. She closed her eyes and Alex could see the relief on her face. He wondered just how long she had been bound.

He handed the knife to Adam roughly and stared him in the face. “Satisfied?”

“Won’t do any good, I’ll just be puttin’ the ropes back on ya know,” Adam taunted.

Not if I have anything to say about it, thought Alex.

Book Trailer

Praise for SIERRA:

Every now and then you come across a novel that profoundly takes your breath away, and Sierra is that novel.
-Kathleen of Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Riveting from beginning to end. Be prepared to read straight through.
-Sherry of Fundinmental Book Reviews

I thought I had read romances before, and books like “Jane Eyre” and “A Tale of Two Cities,” I had always considered the peaks of romantic literature. Let me say this. This is the most romantic book I have ever read in my 38 years on this planet!
-Ruth of My Devotional Thoughts

What I like most about Sierra was how Taylor lulls you in the beginning, then she shreds the peaceful scene to pieces. It happens so fast you barely have time to comprehend what is going to happen. Just like in real life.
-Laura of FUONLYKNEW Book Reviews

Author Taylor Dean

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.

BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 11/22/13
for the Rafflecopter, go to http://www.bookblasttours.com/2013/10/16/sierra-by-taylor-dean-50-book-blast-sign-ups/ 

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IS WRITING A BOOK ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

Last Friday evening, I was fortunate enough to be on an author panel at an event in Mansfield, Texas The evening was directed at encouraging upcoming and beginning authors.The others on the panel were:

Diane Kelly is the author of the Death, Taxes and . .  . series. Diane spoke on “Saying It With Style.” If you’ve read her books, you realize she knows her subject well. Her mystery series is fun and fast paced. The first one is DEATH, TAXES, AND A FRENCH MANICURE. Diane is a CPA and tax attorney who writes full time for St. Martin’s Press.    

Diane Kelly

Liliana Hart is a NYTimes and USA Today bestselling author who is self-published. She has three series going: the Mackenzie series, the J J Graves series, and the Addison Holmes series. Liliana spoke on “Secrets to Sizzling Suspense.” Her books are sizzling, so she knows her subject. Liliana has been especially gracious to share her marketing knowledge with other authors.

Liliana Hart

Sherrel Lee is a Daphne Du Maurier Finalist and fantasy author who spoke on “Covers Draw Readers.”  Using a power point presentation, Sherrel demonstrated good and bad covers.

Sherrel Lee

Ken Aldridge is a former FBI agent who now writes crime novels using his years of catching criminals as a basis. His topic was “Is Writing A Novel On Your Bucket List?” He discussed the good and bad experiences he’s had in publishing. Sorry, I don't have a photo of Ken.

You know that I am an Award Winning and Amazon Bestselling Author of Western Romances. My topic was “Layering A Novel.”  I have no idea whether or not my portion of the evening was effective, but many attendees took notes as well as my handout.  I hope I helped someone.

The members of the Friends of the Mansfield Library did a wonderful job setting up the event and selling our books for us. I must say this was the best organized of these events of which I’ve been a part.  So, there you have one of the fun parts of being an author.

If writing a book is on your bucket list, attending events like this in your area will provide encouragement and tips for success. 

Thanks for stopping by!

THANKS AND HAPPY ALL SAINTS DAY

Please let me take time to thank everyone who helped make the launch for THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP a success. Thanks to those who showed up for the Facebook Launch Party, and thanks to those who bought the book. I am very appreciative of my readers. Thanks for making me an Amazon Bestselling Author of Western Romance. You are the best!

I had such fun chatting with readers and other authors on Wednesday. Previously, readers helped me with a scene in my current release. Writing that dust storm scene after those suggestions was interesting. I hope it turned out as those who had input visualized.

Reader feedback is extremely helpful. Authors are mostly solitary people. We sit in our writing caves creating our books and hoping that what we write will resonate with readers. Book sales are our general indication of whether what we’ve created pleases readers. Having reader input before the book is completed was a new—and pleasing—occurrence for me. I loved it.   

Now I want to wish you Happy All Saints Day. Does that seem strange? Not only is this a saints' day in the Roman Catholic Church, it is a time in many Protestant Churches when we remember those who have died. Not true saints in the Catholic meaning, but honoring those who have passed from our lives but remain in our hearts. In many churches, this Sunday will feature a memorial time in the church service along with special music. In some Protestant Churches, the names of those from the congregation who have died in the past year will be read or listed in the bulletin.

All Saints

This past year, we have lost family and friends, as have most of you. Today and this weekend, those names are especially on our minds and in our hearts. We also honor those dear to us who have passed from our daily lives. We miss our parents, especially, but also others who mentored or befriended us and in some way shaped who we are today. Not marking their deaths in a somber way, but celebrating their lives and contributions with joy. We rejoice that they were in our lives and honor their memories.

Remembering My Mom

For me, I especially miss my mom. She lived near us the last eighteen years of her life. I saw her several times a week and spoke to her on the phone at least once a day, usually more. I was always close to her, but we became so much closer those last few years. I miss her every day. I'm sure there are people about whom you feel the same. Today and this weekend, let's give thanks that those people were with us on earth for however long and bless their memory. Rejoice that we knew them!

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WOOHOO! OFFICIAL RELEASE DAY FOR THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP!

WooHoo! Today is a big, big day for me. This is release day for THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP, book three of the Kincaid series. I am super excited.

Thanks to readers who loved the first two books so much they requested Storm’s book. THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE, book one, is about Pearl Parker and her marriage to Drake Kincaid. She is the eldest sister who cares for her two half-siblings, Storm and Sarah. Drake needs a wife to inherit the ranch he's run since his parents death. Pearl needs to leave Piper's Hollow, Tennessee as soon as possible. But trouble follows the group to Texas.

THE MOST UNSUITABLE HUSBAND, book two, is about sweet, shy Sarah, who goes to see her dying natural mother in St. Louis and settle the estate. There she encounters Nate, a gambler and con man who believes Sarah owes him the proceeds from the saloon she sold. He vows to get that and more from her. But he doesn't count on falling in love with Sarah. And he is surprised at his reaction to the three children they rescue on the way back to Texas.

And now, the trilogy is complete. Life intervened and it’s two months late, but here it is. You might ask what delayed me? What didn’t happen? 

We’re getting a handle on the new place now, but we had a rough move coupled with other major distractions. Today, all is well. 

Don't think this is the end of books about the Kincaid family, though. It's a big family and second cousin Gabe's story is next.

https://www.facebook.com/events/680138592007079/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

In the meantime, today on Facebook, I’m hosting a Launch Party with giveaways of print and ebooks, Amazon gift cards, and swag. Come on over and join in. 

SUMMERSET ABBEY BY T. J. BROWN IS REMINISCENT OF DOWNTON ABBEY

SUMMERSET ABBEY

by T. J. Brown

BLURB:

Reminiscent of Downton Abbey, this first novel in a new series follows two sisters and their maid as they are suddenly separated by the rigid class divisions within a sprawling aristocratic estate and thrust into an uncertain world on the brink of WWI...

Rowena and Victoria, daughters to the second son of the Earl of Summerset, have always treated their governess’s daughter, Prudence, like a sister. But when their father dies and they move in with their uncle’s family in a much more traditional household, Prudence is relegated to the maids’ quarters, much to the girls’ shock and dismay. The impending war offers each girl hope for a more modern future, but the ever-present specter of class expectations makes it difficult for Prudence to maintain a foot in both worlds.

Vividly evoking both time and place and filled with authentic dialogue and richly detailed atmosphere, Summerset Abbey is a charming and timeless historical debut.

EXCERPT:  A lump rose in her throat as she caught sight of the ornate casket, draped with a full spray of lilies, carnations, and palm fronds. The only reason she was here, clutching Rowena’s and Victoria’s hands in hers instead of shrinking into the background with the other servants, was the kindness of the man who lay inside. After Prudence’s father had died, her mother, who had worked at Sir Philip’s estate as a girl, had been sent to attend to Rowena and Victoria’s ailing mother. When his wife died, Sir Philip asked her to stay on to help raise the girls, and Prudence, exactly between his daughters in age, became part of the family. Prudence, who volunteered her time at several different poorhouses in the city, knew exactly what happened to young girls left alone in the world. She would forever be grateful to Sir Philip for not allowing that to happen to her.

She blinked away her tears and occupied herself by looking at the rest of the congregation. Only a few looked familiar. Among them were Rupert Brooke, the high-strung and handsome young poet; Ben Tillett, the iron-jawed union leader; and Roger Fry, the controversial artist responsible for bringing London’s shocked attention to postimpressionism some years prior. These were some of Sir Philip’s friends, a motley collection of artists, intellectuals, and misfits.

Because the Earl had arranged the funeral, most of the people in attendance were his peers, men from the House of Lords and others from the cream of London society.

Sir Philip would have hated it.

The beautiful gold arches and polished marble of St. Bride’s Church gleamed, just as they had the few times the family had attended church. Sir Philip had chosen St. Bride’s because, as he used to say, “Sir Christopher Wren built the kind of church that God might actually enjoy.”

Gradually, Prudence became aware of a young man staring at her from across the aisle. Her eyes darted in his direction, then away. Moments later, unable to help herself, she glanced back to see whether he was still looking at her. He was. She turned slightly and stared fixedly at the bronze candelabra to the left of him, her cheeks burning.

Victoria leaned around her to whisper to Rowena. “Look, Lord Billingsly has noticed our Prudence.”

“I’m right here,” Prudence whispered, and gave both their hands a hard squeeze for emphasis.

She didn’t look his way again.

Once the service started, Prudence sank into a well of grief that threatened to drown her. The waves of it lapped at her from all sides, covered her head, and made sight almost impossible. Inside, her heart broke and a waterfall of sorrow poured from the cracks. On one side, Victoria sobbed quietly, while Rowena’s stiff resolve buoyed her from the other. She clung to their hands as the service passed in a blur of speeches.

They remained that way until it was time to get into the ornate black and gold funeral carriages that would take them back to their home in Mayfair for the reception. Behind the carriages stood a line of motorcars; most of the wealthy guests had long given up their carriages for the convenience and speed of automobiles. The Earl himself had several, and Sir Philip’s sleek Eton-blue Belsize sat idle in the carriage house, but the Earl insisted on traditional horse-drawn carriages.

“Miss Tate will ride in the staff carriage.” The Earl’s voice brooked no opposition and his square jaw firmed. Prudence knew that look. Rowena’s pretty face held the same expression when she got all stubborn about something.

Victoria’s eyes widened. “Prudence rides with us.”

“Nonsense. The Duke of Plymouth wishes to join us and there isn’t enough room.”

Prudence placed her hands on Victoria’s shoulders. Tension vibrated through the young girl’s slender body and Prudence’s stomach knotted, sure that Victoria was going to throw a fit, the kind she used to throw when the family still called her baby and she wanted the biggest sweet in the shop. Even at eighteen, Victoria wasn’t above a tantrum or two if she thought the situation warranted it. But her waiflike face suddenly fell and her lower lip trembled.

“It’ll be all right,” Prudence whispered. “I’ll go back with the staff and meet you at home.”

SUMMERSET ABBEY has been chosen for a Nook Daily Find and will be on sale for 2.99 for one day on October 28th. 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summerset-abbey-teri-brown/1110049205?ean=9781451698985

http://www.amazon.com/T.-J.-Brown/e/B00B9Y1X5C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

T J Brown, Author

TJ Brown is proud of her two children but coming in a close second is the fact that she parachuted out of a plane and beat the original Legend of Zelda video game. Her young adult historical about Harry Houdini’s illegitimate daughter came out in June from Balzer+Bray. She also writes adult historicals under TJ Brown. She resides with her husband and way too many pets in Portlandia.

www.tjbrownbooks.com

@teribrownwrites

The author will be awarding autographed copies of books two and three of the series, A Bloom in Winter and Spring Awakening to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour (open internationally). 

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INTERVIEW WITH A HERO - STORM KINCAID

Today, I’m inviting you to meet the hero of my upcoming release, THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP. Those who read the first two Kincaid books have already met Storm Kincaid, brother of Pearl and Sarah.  Now this half-Cherokee/half-Caucasian man has his own story.

Tell us about your childhood.

I lived in Pipers Hollow, Tennessee until I was fourteen, and my half-sister Pearl married Drake Kincaid. That was a lucky day for me. Drake took us to Kincaid Springs, Texas and eventually adopted Sarah and me. As a child, my grandfather, Tom Black Bear, taught me about tracking and hunting food. Drake took over and taught me how to get along in the white world. I’m sure lucky to have both men in my life.

What do you do for a living now?

I have a ranch near that of Drake and Pearl. Our sister Sarah and her husband live in town. Ours is a large family.

How did you meet Rena?

Killers murdered my best friend and his pregnant wife. I wanted to take off and kill them, but Drake and Grandpa Kincaid stopped me. Grandpa secured a temporary appointment as a Federal Marshal so I could round up those killers legally. Waiting was hard, but Grandpa works fast as a telegraph, and I only lost a day.

When I saw smoke, I rode in. I found the barn and house burning with all the livestock slaughtered.  An elderly man lay dead in the dirt. He’d been beaten and tortured, but I didn’t see a woman. I sensed one, though. Sure enough, she was hiding in the durndest place you ever saw.  She spoke good English but with a thick German accent. She had come from Bavaria, imagine that. And she alternated between sad and angry, and said she was going to kill at least one of the men responsible.

Is that how she came to be riding with you?

I tried to talk her out of it. Figured I’d leave her in town until I regained her valuables. Planned to give her some money and a letter to my family—you know, in case I couldn’t come back. They’d have welcomed her. But that Rena is one stubborn woman. Said she was going after those men whether I let her come with me or not. I reckoned she’d be safer with me than riding all alone.

 We had us quite a ride, let me tell you.  We battled flooded rivers, dust storms, killers, and each other. We rescued three orphans along the way. If you have kids, you know how much they change your life. Getting back to the ranch was pure relief. Ranch work is hard, but seemed like a vacation after our ride across Central and North Central Texas.

I believe you’ll enjoy our story. That is, if you enjoy western historical romance with plenty of action and adventure thrown in. 

Excerpt from THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP

She emerged from the brush straightening her trousers and shoving her pistol back into her waistband. “Where do you think those men are going?”

“Indian Territory. They’ll steal all they can before they reach the Red River and leave no survivors to identify them. They’re selling off the stolen stock along the way, so that will slow them some.” He wondered if she knew how to use the gun.

“But I saw their faces.”

He sent her what he hoped was a frightening stare. “If they knew that, you’d be dead for sure.”

She shivered, but glared at him. “Do not think to frighten me. I will do everything I can to kill these men and reclaim my gold and my mother’s locket. It is not that I care about the jewelry that once belonged to Abram’s wife. But to him, it meant a great deal, and I want it because he gave it to me.”

Storm wanted to shake her. Not that he hadn’t lived all his life with stubborn women. At least his oldest sister Pearl made sense. He’d worried about shy Sarah, especially when she’d appeared head over heels with a con man. Now that Sarah and Nate were married, she had life figured out. Nate had surprised everyone, even himself. Storm suppressed a smile and worked up his anger again at his traveling companion.

“We can be in Llano by nightfall. We’ll get a couple of rooms there and you can rest.”

She shot him a suspicious glare. “You think to abandon me in that town. If we stay somewhere, we will be in the same room so I can watch you.”

Shocked, Storm wondered what he could do with this woman. “We wouldn’t be allowed to stay in a decent hotel. You want to sleep over a saloon? Besides that, folks will be shocked when they see you in those trousers. You want people to think you’re a fallen woman?”

With her chin raised, she placed her hands on her hips. “I am a good woman. You can tell them we are married and I wear britches to ride more easily.” She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “I have a wedding band, see?”

He raised his hands and backed up a step. “Oh, no. I’m not even pretending to be married. If I were ready to marry, which I’m not, I’d pick a woman who knew when to let a man do his job.”

“Ha, and when I recover my dowry, I will marry a man who knows a woman can do as much as a man.”

He swept a formal bow. “And when you marry, will you be wearing the lovely gown you now wear?”

She appeared angry enough to use that Colt on him. “You are wrong to…to talk so. I do not have the English words to tell you what I think, but do not try to leave me behind. If you do, I will go after the men alone.”

Disgusted, Storm stomped over and retrieved the horses. “Then let’s go.”

They rode into Llano in late afternoon. Since they arrived mid week, the town appeared peaceful and quiet. Storm spotted a hotel by the livery he remembered.

“If you’re determined to stick to me like glue, let’s stable the horses.”

At the stable, she staggered when she dismounted and he thought she might fall. He grabbed her arms. “Steady. You’re not used to riding so long.”

“Ja, my legs do not work so well. Do not worry, I will be fine in a minute.”

She remained quiet while he dealt with the hostler and insured his rifle and saddle would be safe. He threw his saddlebags over his shoulder and retrieved the two pillowcases and box he’d tied to the saddle pommel. They ambled the block toward the hotel.

 He indicated a mercantile. “Just what we need. After we get our room, let’s head for that store before it closes. You probably need to replace a few things that burned.” When she glared at him. “I’ll give you the money, all right? I don’t want folks thinking my wife runs around in men’s clothes. If anyone gets nosy, tell them you lost your bag crossing a river.”

She sniffed and sashayed as if she wore a ball gown instead of ill-fitting men’s trousers. “I will keep track and repay you when I kill those men.”

THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP will be released on October 30^th in print and ebook. A Facebook Launch Party will be held at https://www.facebook.com/events/680138592007079/?ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming from 10:00 am until at least 8:00 pm with prizes at random times all day.  You don’t have to be present to win, but winners will be drawn from those who comment during the day at some time.

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